UT-Austin President Issues Policies On Allowing Guns On Campus

AUSTIN, TX -- The president of the University of Texas at Austin released policies Wednesday to abide by a new law that allows gun owners to carry their concealed firearms on campus.

“I do not believe handguns belong on a university campus, so this decision has been the greatest challenge of my presidency to date,” UT President Gregory L. Fenves said in a statement.

“I empathize with the many faculty, staff, students and parents of students who signed petitions, sent emails and letters, and organized to ban guns from campus and especially classrooms.”

Still, Fenves said he had notified the chancellor and the entire campus community of his decision to allow firearms on campus in compliance with a so-called “campus carry” law championed by conservative Texas lawmakers.

Fenves said he has notified UT System Chancellor William McRaven and the campus community of his decision. Along with that correspondence, he reiterated his concerns about the new law and his belief that allowing handguns on campus runs counter to the university’s education and research missions, he said.

Forced to comply, Fenves adopted 25 policy recommendations in complying with the new “campus carry” measure. The guidelines were developed by the 19-member Campus Carry Working Group he appointed last year.

The new policies provide for rules on how handguns must be carried, Fenves said. Under the policies, some areas will still be considered “gun exclusion zones,” Fenves noted: Certain laboratories; areas where pre-K-12 programs are held; and, with some exceptions, university residences.

Moreover, employees with private offices will be able to prohibit handguns inside them, the university president said. Classrooms will not be included in gun exclusion zones, he added.

Concurrently with the new measures, Fenves also established the Campus Carry Implementation Task Force, which will be chaired by Gerald R. Harkins, associate vice president for campus safety and security.

The task force will include experts in university operations, safety and security, as well as faculty members, staffers and student representatives. The goal of the task force is to develop guidelines, rules and practices to comply with the campus policies, Fenves said.

The panel will work closely with the offices of provost, student affairs, the division of human resources, UT Police Department and other campus leadership, he added.

Fenves added that the University of Texas System Board of Regents can amend the campus rules with a two-thirds vote within 90 days after Senate Bill 11 takes effect Aug. 1. Under state law, the open carry of handguns will continue to be prohibited on campus and in university buildings.

A growing list of private universities have opted out of the new law, due to take effect in August. But public universities such as UT are forced to participate given their government funding.

A companion law dubbed “open carry” took effect Jan. 1, allowing licensed gun owners to enter establishments with their holstered guns in tow, and many businesses have opted out. To do that, businesses are required to prominently placed signs at the entrance of their establishments detailing they ban open displays of guns on the premises, despite the new law.

“Under the law, I cannot adopt a policy that has the general effect of excluding licensed concealed handguns from campus,” Fenves said. “I agree with the working group that a classroom exclusion would have this effect,” Fenves wrote in the campus email.

Fenves said there would be ongoing monitoring once handguns are allowed on campus come August.

At the same time, he expressed concerns about scenarios that might emerge in a new landcape allowing firearms on campus. He also expressed worry that implementation of the law might have a negative impact on recruitment and retainment of both faculty and students.

“I have significant concerns about how the law will affect our ability to recruit and retain faculty and students,” Fenves said. “If problems develop, we will work to understand the causes and make adjustments to the policies, rules, and practices, consistent with the law.”